The Buck Stops Here promotion in Horseshoe Bend and Franklin begins August 2! Shoppers can visit participating merchants through the month of August, and register to win prizes which will be given away on Friday, August 25.
Participating area businesses invite shoppers to come by and sign up. They appreciate your business, and you will enjoy saving money on fuel at the same time. Local businesses are the life blood of a community and everyone is encouraged to Shop At Home. Last year prizes given away ranged in value from $10 to $100.
Each time a customer visits a retailer, they can register. Checkout Pacesetting Times Classifieds, Aug. 2 edition, for participating retailer ads.

by Dave Thomas
As part of an ongoing effort to enhance, beautify and promote Pioneer Village as a premier retirement community in North Central Arkansas, new signage has been installed along Highway 289 in Horseshoe Bend. Recently, new brochures were made and can be obtained at the Horseshoe Bend Area Chamber of Commerce and local real estate offices. The website has been newly updated as well www.pioneervillagehsb.org.
Pioneer Village was planned and intended to be a community of housing for persons age 55 and older. Pioneer Village Foundation operates under the guidelines of the U.S. Fair Housing Act. The owners of the 64 individual homes become members and follow the bylaws of the Foundation, which elect a Board of Directors. An affordable homeowner’s association fee provides for the maintenance of the common area parks, clubhouse, swimming pool, as well as mowing, trimming of bushes and leaf removal of individually owned lawns. All amenities are for use by members and guests of the Foundation.
The accessible clubhouse contains a spacious dining room, an updated kitchen, activity and meeting rooms, office, four restrooms, and is used for scheduled membership activities and is available for members’ private parties. Amenities also include an outdoor swimming pool, shuffle board courts, covered pavilion with grills for cookouts and cement sidewalks throughout the parks.
Pioneer Village is a pet friendly neighborhood centrally located in the heart of Horseshoe Bend. Most homes consist of two bedrooms, two baths, and an average of 1,500 sq.ft. All homes have a carport or garage and most have sunrooms, patios, or porches. Park security lights keep the area lit up and it is common to see wildlife in the parks at night. If you would like more information about the Village, please call 870-670-4194, see www.pioneervillagehsb.org, or email pvclubhouse@centurylink.net. At Pioneer Village we enjoy “Celebrating our past, living the present, looking to the future.” You too can be a part of the future, we are just a stone’s throw away. Give a look, you might be surprised at what you see!

by Karen Sherrell
IZARD COUNTY – Sixteenth Judicial Prosecuting Attorney Holly Meyer opened an investigation earlier this year after reviewing alleged discrepancies in the Izard County Judge’s office, as to the handling of equipment purchases and other items, during the term of David Sherrell.
Dennis Simons, Special Agent with the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division, initiated an investigation into allegations of theft of Izard County property committed by Sherrell, according to the Affidavit for Search Warrant filed June 2. Sherrell was the elected judge for three terms, six years, from 2011 to 2016.
According to Simons, during an interview with an Izard County Road Department employee, he learned of the purchase of tools from a Sharp County auction in 2015, some of which were allegedly taken to Sherrell’s farm. The auction was held by Arkansas State Trooper Darren Bates, according to the affidavit, following the death of his father. Bates confirmed the purchase of the tools by Sherrell, and payment by check from the Izard County Treasurer’s office issued to him in the amount of $3,500. Bates told Simons Sherrell did not provide him with any personal money for the tools.
The tools in question included, in part, a Champion Air Compressor, a Chicago 3/4 pneumatic drive with a full set of sockets, a bench grinder, shop press and other assorted miscellaneous tools to be identified by Bates. Simons visited the county shop and was unable to locate the described tools.
On May 31, Simons, along with Izard County Deputy Gabe Sanders and Trooper Bates, executed a search warrant signed by District Court Judge David Miller, on Sherrell’s property located at 1115 Tri Lakes Road in Oxford. Equipment and tools were seized matching the description of the auction items listed on the search warrant, and identified by Bates.
Property seized was a Chicago pneumatic 3/4 impact wrench, a one inch drive socket, three green gas measuring containers, a Craftsman toolbox, Flexible Flyer snow sled, miscellaneous PVC pipe fittings, bailing twine, paint supplies, propane wall heater, two antique Mobile brand gas cans, McCulloch Pro Mac chainsaw, sump pump, Craftsman rotary trimmer-router, navy illumination flare container, antique drill press, two metal saw horses, antique vice, axle with attached wheels, heavy duty tie-down straps, shooting bench rest, pipe threading tools, and miscellaneous plastic containers.
“These items are considered evidence,” according to the search warrant, “and/or fruits of the crime of theft of property.”
When Meyer requested the State Police investigation on Sherrell in February, she also requested an audit of the Judge’s office. Four state auditors conducted the audit for the period of time Sherrell was in office, according to Izard County Judge Eric Smith.
The investigation is still ongoing.

Raffle tickets are now on sale for one of two custom belt buckles designed for the 2017 Pink for Peitz Rodeo. Each ticket purchased will increase your chances of winning one of the belt buckles, while the other buckle will be featured as a silent auction item at the event. Each of the two unique buckles will feature the pink breast cancer ribbon and the Pink for Peitz Rodeo title. The raffle tickets are available now for $5 per ticket at the Peitz Cancer Support House in Mountain Home and will also be sold at the Pink for Peitz Rodeo event. The Seventh Annual Pink for Peitz Rodeo, presented by Rand Rodeo Company and Chicks-n-Spurs Drill Team, will take place at the Saddle Club Arena in Mountain Home on August 11 and 12. The rodeo will include many popular events, such as bronc riding, calf roping, barrel racing, and more. There will also be pony rides provided by The Cowboy Church, tug of war contests, and a silent auction featuring two custom buckles and many more items.
The proceeds from the raffle ticket sales and silent auction will go toward the important work and free comprehensive support services provided to cancer patients and their families by the Peitz Cancer Support House in Mountain Home.
For more information about the annual Pink for Peitz Rodeo event, please contact Melissa Hudson (Cancer Resource Coordinator) at 870-508-1457 or pcsh@baxterregional.org, or Jay Chafin (Belt Buckle Chairman) at 870-425-9868. For more information about the Peitz Cancer Support House and the services offered, call 870-508-CARE. To register to participate in the rodeo, visit RandRodeo.com.

Community Medical Center of Izard County, CMCIC, has completed its sale to Izard County Medical Center, LLC, a subsidiary of Americore Health. The newly-formed limited liability corporation has acquired substantially all of CMCIC’s assets, including the 25-bed critical access hospital located in Calico Rock. The hospital will be renamed the Izard County Medical Center, ICMC.
Americore Health is led by Grant White, a former investment banker and CEO who has significant experience completing transactions in the healthcare sector, with more than $30 billion of transaction experience. This is the first hospital acquired by Americore Health, which has already established a network and team of experts to manage and optimize rural hospitals like ICMC.
The hospital will continue offering the same services and all staff have been retained.
Over the coming months, Americore Health will be implementing its innovative business model to drive significant new revenue and profitability to the hospital while preserving the community-centric focus and high level of care that ICMC has established over the last 65 years.
See full article in this week’s edition of Pacesetting Times.

Ozarka College will offer extended registration hours for the upcoming Fall semester on Tuesday evenings in the month of July.
All campus locations will remain open until 7:30 p.m. on July 18 and 25. Prospective students, new or returning, may stop by to complete an admissions application, apply for scholarships, register for classes, and so much more.
In addition to the extended registration hours, Ozarka will also be hosting program previews at designated locations from 4 to 7 p.m.
The Ash Flat campus showcased aviation, information science technology, and nursing/allied health on July 11. Mountain View will host a similar event on July 18 with aviation and nursing/allied health, and then Melbourne will complete the schedule on July 25.
Attendees will have the opportunity to meet program coordinators/faculty for agriculture, aviation, automotive science technology, culinary, and information science technology.
Ozarka College is currently open Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Summer II classes begin July 5 and the Fall semester starts on August 14.
For more information about the upcoming program previews or to register for classes, please 870-368-2024 or email: admissions@ozarka.edu.

PARADE: Despite the rainy weather on July 4th, Horseshoe Bend’s “Dreams Come True Under the Red, White, and Blue” Independence Day Parade was a success. See additional photos on page 3 of this week’s edition of Pacesetting Times. Photo/C.Stafford

by Ron Yow
The Music in the Mountains Show will be on Saturday, July 15. The Hwy. 289 Band will be on vacation but no worries, Saved By Grace will be performing the entire show. This gospel trio has not been to the theatre for quite some time now, but has always been a hit!
Mark Martin, Mike Smith and JR Dewey blend voices to an array of gospel favorites that will make you want to clap your hands, stomp your feet and say “Amen”! I am sure you will enjoy this evening of gospel music. The doors will open at 5 p.m. and Saved By Grace will take the stage at 6 p.m. Come early and enjoy some fun, food and fellowship. As always, admission is by donation.
Thank you FNBC Bank for being our corporate sponsor. Thank you all who are faithful to come to the theatre every month and support us. The Music in the Mountains is here because of you. Hope to see you there!

by Pat Gill
Things are beginning to pick up and produce is slowly coming in. Shirley from Highland says she is bringing 150 ears of sweet corn this Wednesday and hopefully, more tomatoes. Kristi says her zucchini bread seems to be a hit and she will continue to bake it.
Sandi Conway from Melbourne has herbs and an item that you bake at home from a jar. Her herbs are reasonably priced and look healthy. There are artisan soaps and a variety of crotchet items from our loyal crotchet ladies. Thanks for stopping by.
The Horseshoe Bend Farmer’s Market is located at the Faith Presbyterian Church.